The Bounty: A Spock Hurt Comfort Story
by Doctor Beth
Summary: Spock is injured far worse than he realizes when he helps Kirk and McCoy escape a bounty hunter.
1. Chapter 1

This is an answer to a prompt where Spock is more seriously injured than he realizes. This is part one and is still in progress.

"Bounty hunters. Why did it have to be bounty hunters?" Kirk looked over his shoulder, his chest heaving.

Spock stopped in deference to his human companions, as they did not have his Vulcan stamina and were not able to match his pace. "The emergency signal appeared to be quite genuine Captain. There was no reason to suspect-"

Kirk cut him off before he could finish. "We'll deal with that later. Now we have to get to the shuttlecraft before they figure out we escaped."

McCoy, chest heaving, glared at Spock in annoyance. "Just this once, I wish I could have your Vulcan stamina."

"It does have advantages under certain situations", Spock said as he surveyed their surroundings. "

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You have a tough Vulcan hide. Speaking of which, you were awfully close to the explosion, are you all right?"

"I received merely cuts and bruises." Spock had set the bounty hunter's tricorder to explode and had been too close, but it had achieved the desired objective. The bounty hunters were stunned and Spock had used the opportunity to free Kirk and McCoy.

"Let me see." McCoy examined Spock's hands "They look all right, just some cuts. He lifted Spock's hand to examine his wrist when he paused and said, "What's this?"

Spock lifted his arm and his sleeve was wet, but not with blood. McCoy pulled up Spock's sleeve and it caught on a piece of metal embedded in his arm.

Spock looked at his arm impassively. "Interesting. I do not feel any discomfort."

"Do you mean that you don't feel the pain or that you don't feel anything."

Spock looked down at his arm as McCoy was probing the wound. "I do not feel anything. The area is curiously numb."

"I should probably remove this shard before we go. It could get dislodged or go deeper and cause more damage." He made Spock sit down on a nearby log and pulled out his medkit.

Spock pulled his hand away. "We don't have time for this doctor."

"Look, it will only take a minute and if I leave it in it could get deeper."

Kirk squatted next to the doctor. "You have a minute."

McCoy sprayed the area with disinfectant and used tweezers to pull the metal shard out. Spock cried out as jolts of electricity shot through his arm and spread through his body. He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried and failed to suppress the sensation.

"Spock what's wrong?"

Spock didn't answer, focusing on the sensations. He realized he had been holding his breath, then as the sensations gradually diminished, he breathed in slowly.

McCoy crouched next to Spock, tricorder out. "Spock what happened? You're pulse and blood pressure skyrocketed for a moment but it seems better now.

Spock opened his eyes. The sensation was now completely gone.

"You scared us for a minute. It almost looked like-"

Spock cut him off. "Whatever the sensation was, it is gone now.

"Well, let's get this cleaned up so we can go." McCoy picked up Spock's arm and rotated it. The act of rotation caused electricity to shoot through his arm again. It was not as intense as before, but it caused him to wince again.

McCoy pulled out his tricorder. "The shard must have been coated with a toxin for it to have this affect, but I'm not detecting anything." He put the metal shard into a specimen pouch. "I'll bring it with us just in case." He pulled out a bandage. "I'm going to wrap this lightly, all right?"

The barest touch caused brief shooting sensations, but he endured the discomfort.

"We should get him back to the Enterprise. There is no telling what type of toxin this is. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

"The shuttle is only about 2 kilometers away. If we can get there before the bounty hunters, we should be free and clear."

Spock rose from the log and a brief wave of dizziness caused him to sit down abruptly and he caught himself on his right hand and it collapsed under him as electricity once again pulsated throughout his body.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Spock rose from the log and a brief wave of dizziness caused him to sit down abruptly and he caught himself on his right hand and it collapsed under him electricity shot throughout his body again and he fell to the ground pinning his right arm beneath him. He tried to push himself up using his left arm but found he was unable to propel himself.

"Spock!" McCoy shouted as he gripped Spock's left arm and hauled him up. McCoy sat him down on the log again. "Are you okay?" McCoy asked.

Spock looked inward as he considered the question. "I was momentarily overcome by the sensation of vertigo."

"You were dizzy?" McCoy asked.

"Yes, but it has dissipated as well as the sensation from the injury."

Kirk crouched next to Spock. "That's all very nice and good, but we need to move. We don't know how long that bounty hunter will be out and I want to be long gone before he wakes up."

McCoy glared at Kirk. "I gave him a long acting sedative. He should be out for hours."

Spock stood up, with McCoy's hand to steady him. "I can travel Captain." Spock was dismayed to find that he was reliant on the doctor's steady hand as another wave of dizziness unsteadied him.

McCoy grabbed Spock's arm and placed it over his shoulder supporting some of Spock's weight. Spock was shaking from the effort and McCoy whispered. "Don't worry. We'll be back on the Enterprise and get you all fixed up in no time."

Spock looked sideways at McCoy. "That would be quite acceptable, Doctor."

They traipsed through the forest, but were not able to maintain the rate as before. Spock was forced to rely on McCoy, just to maintain the pace from before.

Then he heard the unmistakable sounds of a ship. "Captain, we are being pursued." Spock called to Kirk who looked back at Spock expectantly. "I hear the engine." Spock said in explanation.

Kirk slowed and glanced back at Spock. "I thought the sensors didn't work because of all the interference."

"They should not have, Captain." Spock considered the scattered trees they were running through. "Unless he is able to use 'line of sight'".

"So, we keep under what little cover there is?"

"That would be our best option, Captain."

The engine sound grew louder and the shadow of a large ship appeared above them. Spock slowed and almost pulled McCoy off balance. "We should take cover under those trees."

Spock released his hold on McCoy and they were caught in a transporter beam.


	3. Chapter 3

They materialized aboard the bounty hunter's ship. Spock was held completely immobile by the transporter beam, but he could see using his peripheral vision that Kirk and McCoy were similarly held.

Spock immediately theorized that they were being held in a partial transporter beam designed to hold a prisoner immobile. It was very inefficient, required an enormous amount of power and was completely illegal.

The bounty hunter walked into Spock's view.

"So." He looked Spock up and down. "My friends call me Kyler." He glared at Spock. "You can call me Mr. Kyler." He held a metal bar and swung it idly.

Spock did not answer, of course.

"I underestimated you earlier, Commander Spock. That will not happen again." He stepped up to within inches of Spock's eyes. "I can see that you're trying to fight it. Go ahead. Try." Kyler nudged Spock's shoulder. "I set the power ten times higher than before, so I don't see you breaking free again."

He gestured to some cuts on his face. "I have you to thank for this. Not to mention the loss of the generator or the damage to my ship."

Apparently, Kyler liked talking to himself, because no matter how hard Spock tried, the beam prevented all movement.

Kyler walked around Spock as if inspecting a piece of merchandise. "So, coveted Vulcan human hybrid. You will fetch me a high price. I've already had bids for you, just based on the possibility that I would capture you." He turned to Kirk and McCoy. "Not that you two won't fetch a fair price, but it will pale in comparison to the price I will get for this one."

Kyler twirled the metal rod again. "However, I can't have you interfering again, but I can't damage the merchandise too much, so…" Without warning, Kyler swung the metal rod and stuck Spock in the chest. The crack of rib bones breaking was the only sound. Spock could not move, could not make a sound as pain exploded in his side. He could only stand there, in the paralyzing beam.

"That's just a warning, Commander Spock. Now, I spared your precious face and while I really wanted to dock those ears, I had to show some restraint." He gazed fondly at Spock's ears, then sighed. "I can reactivate this beam any time I wish. However, we will be traveling for hours and it would be cruel to keep you confined like this." He stepped back a pace and activated a force field.

"Now, I would advise you to not touch the force field as it is quite strong and will be quite painful if you do."

Kyler pressed a button and Spock found he was no longer engulfed in the paralysis beam. Quite abruptly. He was not prepared and he staggered back and hit the back wall and slid down. He would have landed in an undignified heap if McCoy and Kirk hadn't slowed his progress.

"Spock, are you all right?"

Spock would have looked at McCoy with incredulity for asking such an absurd question, but his Vulcan dignity and the discomfort overwhelmed that idea. Spock took a very shallow breath and the broken bones rubbed together painfully.

"Give him a minute to control the pain." McCoy said. Yes, Spock decided, McCoy had learned a thing or two about Vulcans. Spock centered his entire being on the pain and then dismissed it.

Spock opened his eyes and found he was still sitting on the floor being supported by Kirk and McCoy. "I am better able to control it now. " he informed the others.

"Well, then let's get you more comfortable." Spock felt himself lifted and brought over to a bench. They eased him onto the bench and he leaned back against the wall gratefully. As long as he didn't move, he could control the pain.

Kirk stood and paced. "That damn bounty hunter. He's got us locked in here and I just can't see a way out."

Spock opened his eyes and looked around. "Captain, I believe I know of a way to disable the force field."

"What?" Kirk looked at Spock in disbelief. "How?"

"We could disable the circuit which controls the main power to the ship." Spock said simply. "That would cut all power including the power to the force field."

McCoy looked at Spock in doubt. "How do you know where this circuit is?"

"I memorized the schematics of this vessel as part of a training exercise when I was at the Academy." Spock said simply.

"You did what?" Kirk asked unbelievably, then said, "Nevermind, it's not important. So where is this crucial circuit?"

Spock shifted uncomfortably. "It is right at this point." He gestured at a position on the wall behind him and to the left.

Kirk bent down and peered at the wall. "I don't see anything. And besides how could we possibly cut through the wall? We have nothing to cut with."

Spock looked at Kirk with a bare hint of amusement. "We do." He gestured to the other side of the craft, outside the forcefield. "I believe that is a Level 3 standard medical kit. Is it not Doctor McCoy?"

McCoy looked over at the kit. "Why, I do believe it is?"

"Level 3 Standard medical kits contain laser scalples do they not?"

"Yes, they do. But they won't cut through this wall."

"No, but it could be modified to cut through the wall."

McCoy looked thoughtfully at the kit. "There's just one problem. The kit is on the wrong side of the force field."

"Indeed. We just need to convince Mr. Kyler that I am in dire need of treatment."

"That shouldn't be too hard. He seems to have a vested interest in keeping you healthy and you don't look too good right now."

Spock said nothing.

McCoy looked at Spock critically. "Look, you're pale and pasty. You have labored breathing which you're trying to hide unsuccessfully."

"I am functioning adaqu-"

McCoy interrupted Spock. "Blast it Spock. Don't give me that. We've been through this before.

Spock acquiesced. "All right. I believe the edema is affecting my lungs. I am having difficulty taking deep breaths." Spock looked down at his arm. "In addition, my arm is swollen and I am feeling pressure.

They all looked down at Spock's arm. It had swollen to at least twice it's normal size. It had swollen so much that Spock's shirt was tight.

"My God Spock. Why didn't you say anything?" McCoy asked unbelievingly.

"There was nothing you could do.

McCoy turned to Kirk. "Jim, we must get access to the kit regardless. I'll have to lance his arm, plus it will contain drugs I can use to ease the symptoms. If we don't act soon, he could get very sick. Pulmonary edema is very dangerous for Vulcans.

"So, let's assume we convince Kyler to give us the kit, can you modify the laser, Spock?" Kirk asked.

"Yes."

"Good. You show me where to cut and I'll do it."

Spock shook his head. "No, Jim, I will have to cut it."

"You can't, Spock." McCoy said.

"Captain, this is a very sensitive region. It will require very precise cutting and if you go too deep, you could pierce the outer hull."

"All right Spock, I get it." Kirk conceded. "So, after you cut the circuit, what will happen?"

"The power will be interrupted. This will cause the engines to stop, the force field to drop, lights and climate control to cease."

"So, it'll get cold and dark."

"After approximately 10 seconds, redundant systems will be implemented restoring power. We will hardly notice the change in temperature."

"But the force field will be down and the lights out. Bones, can you concoct something that we could disable Kyler from a distance?" Kirk asked McCoy.

"I believe so, yes." McCoy said a little reluctantly.

"So, we have a plan."

The bounty hunter appeared to be preoccupied, talking on a comm with a woman. Kirk presumed her to be one of the bidders. He shouted over the sound of the force field. "Kyler! Hey Kyler!"

Kyler looked up, an irritated look on his face. "Kyler, we need help!"

Kyler slowly got up and ambled over to the force field. "Yeah, what is it? Make it quick. I'm trying to arrange a rendezvous here."

"Look, Spock is sick and we were wondering if we could get access to the medical kit."

Kyler glanced over at the seated Vulcan. "I didn't hit him that hard earlier."

McCoy looked anxiously at Spock. "It's not from that.


End file.
